Living in the Florida Panhandle, we find pork chops readily available and relatively inexpensive. Almost any market will have them in a range of thicknesses, both bone-in or tenderloin alone. The issue with this ready supply, however, is predictability. One package will yield a tender chop, while the next purchase (same vender, same “product”) might prove too tough. It’s not like steak, where you can imagine the tenderness based on fatty marbling. Pork has generous layers of fat, but the muscle-tissue is lean and dense, almost dry sometimes.
Having run into this many times over the years, I’ve moved to a county-gravy approach, searing the chops, followed by a slow braising in a gravy that brings its own savory character – useful as a condiment for parpadelle (or egg noodles) I typically serve alongside.
The gravy braise is all about onions, almost a thick French onion soup deal, with some tanginess from Worchestershire Sauce, sweetness from a few dollops of Apple Sauce, a clean fragrance from a modest deglazing with a bit of white wine or champagne, and the flavor of a few whole garlic cloves sautéed along with the onion.
It’s more about technique than a recipe; every step is “to taste.” I being with chops that I’ve stripped of fat, dusted with salt and pepper, then dredged lightly in flour. The chops, along with trimmings, are sizzled in a good sized frying pan (not raw cast iron) with some olive oil. Once the chops have a bit of color, I introduce a lot of sliced onion, two large sweet onions (Vidalias) for 3-4 porkchops, along with a few whole peeled garlic cloves. The ingredients are simmered together until the onions a tender. At this point I remove the trimmings, and add some Worchestershire, chicken broth (stock), and a tablespoon or two of Applesauce (natural, not flavored with cinnamon, etc.). The pan now goes into the oven for roasting, in the 350 range.
At some point, when checking the progress, the gravy will begin to caramelize. This is a good time for a splash of white wine or champagne, and perhaps more broth. You’ll need to deglaze well before serving, so the sauce loses that “someone just added alcohol” taste. At this point, you’ll want to address the seasoning, looking for a mellow balance of sweet and tangy, with the onions contributing their last bit of texture. Given enough time (one to two hours) in the oven the chops should begin to break down to a pot-roast level of tenderness. It’s your call when to serve.
This goes well with flat noodles, even with rice. Whole kernel corn is a good sidedish.
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